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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a disagreement between a closed attraction, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated debate over their fate often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the people who see them each day.

After the federal government blocked the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to euthanize them unless the authorities funds the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and communal behavior suggest they are deeply intelligent animals – something a former trainer observed directly.

She spent three years as a beluga trainer, a role that involved building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She developed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting natures.

“Eve chose me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Each altered the way I understand bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales progressed against a background of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her time at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the park attributes to natural mortality, but which activists say reflects the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The facility did not open to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly effects of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and navigate with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not comment to a request for comment, but earlier stated: “The whales … get far superior veterinary services and constant care than any individual in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in the spring following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility believed particulars of the incident were shared to the news outlets and she was let go not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left her and other caretakers in despair. She says the park’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any plans to euthanize even a one beluga would require “significant personnel”, equipment and heavy equipment.

“It cannot happen in hell the caretakers would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess supports requests for the whales to be removed immediately from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In late September, Canada’s government official rejected a bid to send the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the application would have meant a ongoing situation in captivity and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that whales belong in the sea, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an transfer that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks indicate a wider misunderstanding of the realities of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials struggle to find a resolution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A planned sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received regulatory clearance, has shown to be highly debated. The prospective facility, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a sustainable answer for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Others say the idea of a refuge indicates a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a workable plan in the coming months.

An official, head of the sanctuary project, said the location will simulate the mental engagement and diet the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|